Djokovic in dominant form as he advances to round of 16

Defending champion Novak Djokovic was clinical in his third round match as he dispatched of Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka at the 2020 Australian Open.

The World No.2 wasted little time in schooling his younger opponent, requiring just under an hour and a half to clinch the match 6-3 6-2 6-2.

The 2019 champion Novak Djokovic won an astounding 93% of his first serves, hitting an incredible 40 winners to 23 unforced errors. The Serbian hit winners from both wings, in addition to displaying amazing proficiency at the net.

After putting up a valiant effort against Rafael Nadal at the recent ATP Cup, Nishioka must have imagined he stood a whisker of a chance against the spectacular Serb. Any hope of victory quickly evaporated as Djokovic immediately broke his serve, before claiming the first set in exactly 30 minutes.

Losing the opening set against the 16-time Grand Slam champion is an uphill battle for almost anyone. Losing your serve in the first game of the second set will sound the death knell for any comeback. Nishioka lacked the firepower to hurt the Serbian, and it became more evident as the match progressed.

Djokovic was cerebral in his approach, attacking his unseeded opponent with a variety of top-spin and slice groundstrokes. The crowd seemed almost disappointed as the match neared it's conclusion, perhaps wanting to see more of the 7-time champion.

Despite facing a break point in his last service game, the Serbian was able to close out the match on his second match point. He now faces Argentine Diego Schwartzman in the fourth round, an encounter that's likely to be more challenging than today's matchup.

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